Meditation Space Reviewed for Expansion
Concerns for Need for Space Addressed
Broadside Staff Reporter Jaimie Griffin

Photo by Mark Strandquist

Controversy over the meditation room located on the third floor of the Johnson Center has become a growing concern for students due to space limitations, religious practices, and conflicting needs and uses.

While Muslim students of George Mason University use the space for prayer five times daily, non-Muslim students also use the space for prayer and meditation to a lesser extent.

Alissa Kartona, assistant to the vice president of university life, addressing the history of the room and why it was set up, said that “University Life along with Johnson Center & Student Unions set up the Quiet Meditation Space about seven years ago in response to members of our community wanting a space to just be… for prayer, meditation, quiet reflection, or de-stress etc.”

Discussion about the meditation space began when the president of the Muslim Student Association contacted Student Senator Ryan Bloomfield about space limitations. Since Muslim men and women are required to pray separately, there has not been enough room for women.

Also, Friday prayers are typically the largest and most important to the religion, with around one hundred students who attend, according to the president of MSA, Saleh Albarmawi. Prayer includes recitation of the Quran along with movements, which may cause disturbances to non-Muslims who use the space for silence.

“Assign a prayer area for Muslim students. Have that area also serve as an

Photo by Mark Strandquist

Islam Education Center. Since MSA is a reflection of the general body of the Muslim Students at GMU, the area should be run by MSA,” said Albarmawi.

Albarmawi also discussed some of the criteria for such a space. The religion requires Muslims to face east, toward Macca, and the wall they are facing cannot be adjacent to rest rooms. The room’s current location is ideal for these reasons, which makes it hard to find another location just as suitable.

Although there are many advocates of moving the area, there are just as many voices against it. By creating a larger space in the JC for prayer and other religious activities, areas used for academics will be compromised.

Michael Gryboski, as curiouscentrist, posted on online discussion board talkmason.com, “expansion is a bad idea for the neighboring portions of the third floor that are used for academics, which is supposed to be the primary offering of the University to the world at large.”

Another issue is that the Muslim religion should not have any advantage over other religions. Other student organizations rent out rooms around campus to meet and other religions meet off campus.

“If Muslims wish for an exclusive place, they should be allowed to rent a space much like businesses do (e.g. restaurants in the JC and SUB I), or be off campus, as the Christian chapel is,” said bobpence from the discussion board.
Concerns over the mediation space also go back to its original use. Because the area is mainly used by Muslims, many of their religious rules now govern the area.

“I have to say that the one and only time I have heard of someone wanting to use the prayer space that wasn't Muslim is when they went there to do some reading for class, and were asked to move to the other side of the gender wall,” said Kjennin.

When asked about the area’s original use, Karton replied, “There are no rules as to gender separation or removing shoes regarding the space as far as I know. Really the only ‘rule’ in the original intention of the space was that it was not reservable.”

Noncompliance with the religion’s rules, however, can be misinterpreted as offensive.

As of now, the decision to move the space has not been made. The discussion will grow over time, as the Muslim population of Mason will grow and more issues concerning the space will inevitably rise.